I preach the importance of ongoing professional development to my clients. It’s important for me as well! I just returned from the 15th annual National Résumé Writers’ conference in Charleston, SC where I gave a presentation to 100+ other résumé writers on Questions That Get the Information You Need: A Critical Key to Writing an Outstanding Résumé. It is always fun to be with other people who understand what you do, and I enjoyed catching up with colleagues I had met at other conferences and meeting new ones.

There were many information-filled workshops. The keynote speakers were Tim Moran, HR Director for Hallmark Cards, Inc. and Viveka von Rosen, a LinkedIn Expert. Jared Redick gave an interesting presentation on Why Retained Executive Search Doesn’t Want Your Client’s Inbound Résumé. There was a panel discussion on cover letters, a presentation on elevator speeches, andone on writing branded résumé statements. Joshua Waldman, author of Job Searching with Social Media gave a presentation on The 7 Top Mistakes Job Seekers Make Online and How to AvoidThem.

I’m looking forward to using what I learned to continue to help my clients distinguish themselves from the competition.

October 04, 2012

As part of my ongoing professional development, I subscribe to a number of newsletters including ExecuNet’s. In a recent article about how recruiters find executive candidates by Robyn Greenspan, Editor-in-Chief, networking scored 57%, tapping their own database 19%, research 9%, searching résumé databases 7%, online job postings 6%, and advertising 2%.

These figures should be a strong wake-up call to those of you who spend most of your timeposting your résumés to multiple online sites and hoping that you will get results. As the article says “Put down the mouse and get out of your house.”

When recruiters were asked to break “networking” down, they ranked where they spend the majority of their networking time. #1 was referrals, #2 was networking online, #3 was their personal candidate prospect file, #4 social networking sites, and #5 networking face-to-face.

August 15, 2012

I just heard from a client who contacted me a few weeks ago to say that she hadnot had much luck securing a new position. I had written her resume and she haddecided she needed a strong cover letter as well. Today I got an email sayingthat since sending out the cover letter with the resume, she has had threeoffers! Are cover letters necessary? In this case, it definitely made thedifference.

This client was targeting specific companies; by adding a cover letter to an alreadysolid resume, she completed her professional presentation and was able to getinterviews. Cover letters can be tailored to specific companies and openingsand can add information that could not fit into a resume. In this case, I useda terrific quote from the evaluation of a recent supervisor. Because thesupervisor is well known in this client's location and industry, it obviouslymade a difference!

February 25, 2012

I recently heard from a client who has landed his dream job. How did he do it? He worked on developing more industry contacts through LinkedIn and continued to subscribe to industry newsletters, including one e-newsletter which typically did not have ad postings for his particular niche. He said he usually reads one out of ten of that particular newsletter. While flipping through one, he saw an ad for a position that was perfect for him; it was buried deep inside the newsletter.

Rather than simply send in his résumé, he went to the company’s LinkedIn profile and discovered that one of his LinkedIn contacts worked for the company. He contacted him and he agreed to forward his résumé to the right people. This led to multiple interviews including a teleconference with future peers in another country. They gave him their endorsement, and he was offered the job.

Prior to his first interview, this client redesigned his portfolio to emphasize his expertise in the areas that were key to this particular position.

Once again, this is proof that networking and keeping up with industry publications and groups is essential to the job search. It also indicates the importance of using social media tools such as LinkedIn. If your job search consists of only posting a résumé on the internet, the chances are that you will probably not find a job; in fact, less than 15% of jobs are found that way. Networking has always been one of the best ways to find a job, and LinkedIn has added another dimension to networking.

January 19, 2012

When I get one of those “form” invitations to connect with someone I do not know, I ignore it. From what I read and hear from other LinkedIn users, this is a pet peeve for many. If people say I’m a “friend” or that they have done business with me and they have not, I am not only annoyed but have no reason to connect with them. Sometimes I will check their LinkedIn profiles to confirm that I do not know them or to figure out why they want to connect with me. Often the profile will be incomplete, which is an indicator to me that the person is not really serious about using LinkedIn.

So how do you connect with others for mutually beneficial relationships? The first order of business is to ensure your profile is complete and up to date. Do you include a professional headshot? Is the summary a good indicator of your expertise? Does your experience section include your major contributions? Have you completed the other areas including Education and Groups and Associations? Have you researched and joined LinkedIn groups in your industry that interest you? Do you actively participate in the question and answer sections on those sites? Another way to get new connections is to ask your existing connections to introduce you to people in their network with whom you would like to connect.

Once you find someone you want to connect with, do NOT use the standard invitation; personalize it. If you already know them or have done business with them, that’s easy. If you are members of the same group or have seen or responded to one of their questions, be sure to let them know. According to Tony Faustino, author of Social Media ReInvention, “If there is no information exchanged indicating why we would be able to build a mutually beneficial relationship, it indicates this person is only interested in the value of my connections for their personal agenda.”

Once a person agrees to connect with you, always send them a thank-you message. Good manners makes a difference!

Another December article gives the best cities for a sales job in 2012. The results are based on a Manpower survey of 18,000 employers in 100 metropolitan areas. New York City is #1, followed by Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Dallas, San Francisco, Burlington (MA), and Boston. Houston and Atlanta tie for #9. To read the article, go to http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2011/12/09/the-best-cities-for-sales-jobs.

December 28, 2011

This is the week when many of us begin to think about what changes we want to make in the New Year. New Year's resolutions have a way of being forgotten within a few weeks, so perhaps fewer are better.

Among my suggestions for career professionals are the following:

If you do not have a social media presence, it is time to get one! Start with your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is being increasingly used by other professionals to find and hire people with certain skills and knowledge, by recruiters to identify candidates for positions they need to fill, and by companies to identify potential candidates. A number of my new clients have come from my LinkedIn site; they are able to read recommendations from past clients and frequently see that I am connected to one of their business or personal colleagues. That can work for you as well! Be sure that you include a photo, a robust profile, and recommendations from colleagues and clients.

Keep a file tucked in your desk drawer and include in it information for updating your resume. What should be included? Commendation letters; copies of outstanding performance appraisals; information on professional development, business affiliations and board memberships; and most importantly, detailed information on your contributions or achievements. You may think you will remember all of this when it's time to update your resume, but you will not. It will make the update so much less stressful if you have all of this information in one place.

Work to keep your life balanced. When it's time to work, give it 100% and when it's time to play, do the same. Spend a little more time with your friends and loved ones, do something that feeds your soul, and try to do something that makes life easier for someone else.

Let's all work toward making 2012 one of the best years yet in every way.

November 04, 2011

What should not be included on a resume? The simple answer is anything that is not relevant, is not true, or might lead to discrimination.

What is irrelevant? Jobs held many years ago that have no relation to your current career can be omitted. Unless you are an executive, the rule of thumb is to go back 10 to 15 years unless you held a position earlier in your career that is highly relevant to your current job target. I find that some clients want to include every job they have held back to high school. Once again, include only what is relevant. High school jobs usually are not; if you are a recent college graduate, you may need to include summer positions or those held during college to demonstrate a strong work ethic or that you paid your own way. Once you are in a career, those positions become less relevant.

Personal data such as age, race, or religious or political affiliation should never be included in a resume unless the information is directly relevant to your job target. That information may be used in a discriminatory way. If you want to work for a religious or political organization, that might be a time to include religious or political affiliations. If you once volunteered for an organization you now want to work for, include that information. Confidential information about a company you once worked for is another item that should be omitted; including it could indicate to a potential employer that you cannot be trusted or, in a worst case scenario, may lead to a lawsuit by your previous employer. Hobbies are usually not included; an exception might be a sales professional who is an avid golfer, cyclist, or who is active in another sport that helps build networking relationships.

Objective statements are no longer necessary. They have been replaced with hard-hitting profiles and branding statements that include your target as well as your most important qualifications. The same goes for “references upon request.” Of course an employer will ask for references, and you should have a list of references with their contact information ready to present at the interview. It’s not necessary to include at the end of a resume and may take up valuable space.

What about volunteer work? If you have been a leader in a volunteer organization, you should definitely include that in your resume. If you’ve collected once a year for a cause, that’s not as valuable. Treat the volunteer position the same way you would a job. Ask yourself if you made unique contributions to the organization and include them in the resume if there is room.

There is one item that should never be included on a resume, and that is a lie. Hopefully, most people would not dream of lying on a resume, but there are some who might be tempted to say they earned a degree that they did not complete or that they worked for an organization longer than they did. Lying can cost a job candidate the job. Not only is lying wrong, it’s stupid! You will be caught eventually and will have to pay the price.